Telling Stories about Luton

Bev Creagh

Telling Stories is a unique project about growing up in Luton, led by young people from different backgrounds to build bridges between each other and their communities.

They met with a similar group from Derry/Londonderry to exchange experiences about living in divided neighbourhoods.

Last week 40 key representatives from the council, university, cultural agencies and charities attended a reception at Luton’s Hat Factory to learn about what they had discovered.

The young people - aged between 16 and 25 – published a rich mix of funny, serious and moving tales on their Facebook page. They also made a film, Bridging Communities, about their trip to Northern Irelamnd.

The project, financed by The Big Lottery and put together by Runaway Media, encouraged them to speak for themselves and forge new friendships.

Telling Stories also enabled them to use different media in a creative capacity to challenge intolerance and deep social divisions.